swimming lessons - age appropriate
boyohboyohboy wrote: At what age do kids really learn to swim. I know that in the past I have seen on tv little tiny babies that are just put in the water and swim. But I just cant imagine a tiny kid swimming.
My son is 4yrs old, and sometimes if he feels like it he will follow directions and listen, but I am wondering since swimming is so important, if maybe another year might be better.
What age do most kids learn to swim?
MommyToAshley replied: I started my daughter this year when she turned 3. I think this is a good age to start.
I thought it was important for safety reasons. I watch her very closely, but it only takes a second for you to turn your back. I wanted to make sure she would be ok if an accident happened and she fell in a swimming pool. She is doing really well and has learned a lot. She's learned some things that I never would have thought to teach her myself, and she loves it. It's fun and it's great exercise!
There are a few kids that have a hard time listening in the pool and the instructors have had to use "timeouts". When they still didn't listen, the parents were asked to remove the kids from the class for safety reasons. However, most of the kids this age had no problems following instructions.
aspenblue1 replied: Isabella started basic swimming lessons with me at 6 months. I took some time off and she is going back this month for lessons by herself so hopefully she will be ok. Since we are around a inground pool a lot since my grandmother has one I want to make sure incase something happens.
Kaitlin'smom replied: I started Kait with simple things in our pool last year so she was about 2 1/2 and was doing really well. She currenty does not go into the pool with out a life vest. I will continue to work with her this year. You can never be to careful espically around inground pools they can fall in VERY easly.
JP&KJMOM replied: JP started at 4 and Karlee will take them this summer for the fist time. Both of them LOVE the water. He is very cautious but Karlee has no fear and I think it is time she starts for that reason.
lisar replied: Lexi is 5 and we are going to try this summer. I was 5 when I learned how.
redchief replied: Having experienced the tragedies of families who have lost children to drowning I advise you start teaching them to swim as young as possible. Much of that will have to do with family schedules, program availability and such. Our children all started organized lessons between ages of 4 and 5.
C&K*s Mommie replied: Christian began at 2. Kellie is supposed to begin this yr, and Christian will be having 'refresher' lessons again.
The earlier the better, as Ed mentioned.
~~*Missi*~~ replied: sabrina and i started attending swimming classes last summer at 8-9m and we go to the pool still at least 3-5 times a week..... She is 19m and can swim and LOVES to go under water.. She dunks her face or lays back and flops in the water so it covers her or she will just go under and come up kicking LOL. She jumps in, and we just started workin on diving (which looks more like a belly flop  ). She attends a class once a week that works with her on kicking harder, moving arms (like different strokes other that her personal fav. doggie), diving etc........we love it. I only bought the gym membership here for the pool and her lessons LOL
Sabrina started swimming on her own about 14m before that i was to afraid to let go or ALWAYS used those wader belts or noodles..... my sister was the same way a water baby...sabrina is happiest in the water.. bad day tub or pool, sick tub with heater on, she loves the water and would live in there if i let her...
There should be at like the local Y classes just like the above ones for all ages. The Y here has classes 2-4 times a week..... for about 1-1.5hr either night or mid day.....
You may be surprised some kids are just natural swimmers like 1/2 fish...... call the Y's in your area or go to their online website the classes are like 35-55$ which isn't bad they run 8-12 weeks.....
Like i know at my gym the first day of class they "evaluate" the kids to make sure they are in the right class. If you put them in advanced and they should be in interm. they will move ya or if you are in beginner classes and should be in advanced they will move ya either way.... ours are broken down to
beginner - never in water other than tub shows no sign of kicking or moving to stay a float.... dislikes going on the back, wont go under...
interm - kicks occassionally, will go under occassionally, etc..
advanced - swims alone, likes to go under, swims on back, etc....
GOOD LUCK
BAC'sMom replied: My kids started swimming lessons when they were 4-5 years old. I plan to let them take a refresher course this summer. I have seen far to many tragedies! Leaving on the coast we have the ocean and have LOTS of swimming pools and ponds. It never fells that we have a few drowning in my area each year. We had one Easter weekend that involved a 2 year old.
mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Wil and I did swim lessons last March, so at 18 months. They of course don't teach them to swim yet, but it got him comfortable with the pool. He would float on his back (with my help of course) and jump in from the edge. I believe they start around 3 when they actually start learning to swim.
Cece00 replied: My kids all love the water.
We did lessons last yr- my sons were 2 & 3. They will probably take them every year for a few years. I will probably start Natalie next yr, she'll be 1.5
luvmykids replied: Mine are all starting this summer, at 2 and 4 years old.
One word of caution to all, I read an article in a magazine talking about kids who've had lessons and their parents assuming they didn't need such close supervision. The article talked about kids have a false level of confidence as well as the parents and some awful stories followed. Just a reminder, lessons or knowing how to swim never replace adult supervision. 
BAC'sMom replied:
Also wanted to remind everyone about having a fence around your pool and a gate that you keep locked. They also sell door alarms now and pool alarms. I’d rather be safe than sorry since I have a pool in my yard and two year old. Doesn’t hurt to get a CPR course too, never know when it could come in handy and save someone’s life.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe...ter_safety.html
http://www.liveandlearn.com/pools.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art...rticlekey=47529
TheOaf66 replied: Well, from experience I will tell you, we started introducing my son as early as possible to water so that he was not afraid of it. Last summer (he turned 3) and we bought water wings and had him floatin around in the pool, he was very happy to have independence that he could swim on his own but I felt better becuase he was safe enough. Whatever you are comfortable with but start soon, if you wait to long then they are scared to try it.
ashtonsmama replied: I'm in love with the water, so I'm hoping to instill that in my kids as well, I know that you can start Mommy and Baby classes at the gym/pool here when they're 6 months I think, so I'll probably start doing that with Ashton soon.
JMO.
My3LilMonkeys replied: We started doing at home instruction with Brooke last summer on things like holding breath, blowing bubbles, etc. so she was almost 2. We will probably start formal lessons next summer when she is 3.
I personally agree with the younger the better - my 8 yr old nephew can't swim well yet and is embarrassed as heck because he is taking lessons this year and is in a class with mostly 5 and 6 year olds.
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